Save Me
by Blinker182
Summary: A young soldier, lost and alone in an infected city, is ready to end his life. Until he hears someone crying...
1. Chapter 1

**Save Me**

"MOVE IT NOW!" Private Cross obeyed that order and instantly began running as hard and fast as he could. They were all that was left now, him and his commanding officer Sergeant Bennett. They were the only ones of their platoon still alive. Now they were sprinting across rain covered rooftops, attempting to outrun the horde of infected behind them. Every few seconds, one of them would turn around and fire a burst from their rifles in an attempt to slow the infected down. But it was no use. They were relentless. Like a wave of blood and rage. Never ceasing.

The two soldiers were still running, but now fatigue was starting to set in. Neither had slept in days. They were nearing the end of the rooftop and the horde was still in pursuit. They stopped at the edge of the roof. Across was a fire escape attached to the building in front of them. They turned and fired what ammo was left in their magazines before taking a run up and jumping across the five foot gap. Cross jumped first. He barely managed to grab onto a railing and pull himself onto the platform. Bennett was next. He took a run up and leaped across the gap. He caught the railing and was now dangling over the side. The fall was high enough to kill him but it didn't need to be. The horde would be on him in a flash and that would be game over. The horde had also attempted to jump onto the fire escape but they could not make it. The infection had seriously affected hand-eye coordination and jumping across a five foot gap seemed to be at the limit of their ability. "Cross! Help me up!" Bennett cried out. Cross looked over the edge of the railing towards the ground. The horde was still alive and very much kicking. Cross attempted to pull Bennett up. "Shit, you're too heavy!" Cross strained out. The rain continued to pound down. "Fuck! I'm slipping!" Bennett screamed. Cross pulled as hard as he could. It felt like his arms were about to be ripped from their sockets. Suddenly a tongue shot up from the alley below and wrapped around Sgt. Bennett's ankle. "Smokers got me!" The smoker instantly pulled hard on Bennett's leg. "I can't hold on!" Cross shouted. Suddenly Bennett slipped from Cross' grasp and was pulled into the infected horde below.

Cross could only watch in horror as the horde began to rip into Bennett in front of him. But Bennett wasn't dead. Not yet. He was too strong for that. He pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin. He hugged it to his chest to wait for its release. The blast shook the fire escape, but Cross could only stare at the spot where his friend used to be. All that was left was body parts and blood, the latter being slowly washed away by the rain. Cross snapped out of his reverie and began to climb the fire escape in search of a window that wasn't boarded up. He got to the last window on the top floor and to his surprise, it was open. He climbed through shut the window behind him. He looked around. It appeared to be a hotel room. He did a quick sweep of the room before leaning against the wall and sinking down to the floor.

'What the hell am I gonna do now?' He thought to himself. He was lost. Alone. He was low on ammunition and supplies. He took off his backpack, helmet, radio and body armour and threw them across the room. He didn't care if he made a lot of noise and attracted the infected. He was a dead man anyway. He thought about that again. 'I **am **a dead man.' He thought that over and over again. He was going to die here. Not in a far away country on the battlefield like a true warrior, but here. In an American city. Killed by unarmed American civilians. He felt anger rise inside of him. He never feared death. He just hoped his death would be for good cause and mean something. He hoped that **IF** he had to die, it would be protecting someone. He would die so they didn't have too.

He sat in silence for what felt like days. 'Dad would be so proud to see his son mauled to death by rabid people.' He thought sarcastically. There was only one way out as far as he was concerned. He looked down at the holstered pistol strapped to his right thigh. He slowly unbuttoned the holster and pulled the weapon out. His breathing and heart rate increased significantly. He had never used his pistol in battle. That didn't stop him from keeping it clean and in working condition. He always thought it could mean the difference between life and death in battle. And now it was being used for his death. Cross saw some kind of irony in that. He thought the weapon would be needed to save his life and now it was being used to end it. He checked the magazine. Full. He pulled the slide back and chambered a round. He put the weapon in his mouth and slowed his breathing. This was it. The end of everything. He inhaled sharply and pulled the trigger. Nothing. He pulled again. Nothing. He pulled the weapon out of his mouth and checked it. The safety was on. Cross chuckled slightly at that. "I'm still a fucking rookie!" He shouted to himself. He clicked the safety off and put the gun back in his mouth. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain batter the windows. It was...peaceful. 'This is it. My final act. Father... forgive me.' He half squeezed the trigger...then stopped.

He opened his eyes. He barely heard it, but it was there alright. He took the gun from his mouth once again and listened.

Someone was crying...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Stranger in a Strange Land**

'Crying? A survivor?' Cross rose to his feet and holstered his pistol. He picked up his M-16 rifle and put in a fresh magazine. He could still hear the distant weeping. 'It can't be a survivor.' He thought to himself 'My entire unit got wiped out and they were armed to the teeth and well trained. How could a civilian still be alive?' Cross slowly made his way to his hotel room door. He took a deep breath and slowly unlocked it and swung it open. He came to a small hallway. He looked to his left. More rooms and a dead end. He then looked to his right. More rooms and a stairwell at the end that led to the lobby. He then looked straight in front of him. There was a door to another room. He pressed his ear to it. Whoever was crying was in there. He switched on the flashlight attached to the bottom of his rifle and put his hand or the door handle. He slowly opened it and stepped in.

He eyen immediately rested on the person in the middle of the room. She was kneeling on the floor. Her platinum blonde hair covered her face. Cross felt his heart drop. She was so vulnerable. He wanted to help her. "Excuse me miss?" He said trying to sound as confident as he could. The young woman let out a small gasp and stopped crying. Cross felt there was something familiar about this situation. Suddenly, it hit him. Crying? Covering her face? His mind flashed back to the other soldiers he met who told him of an infected that would lure people by crying before ripping them apart. His mind then moved to graffiti he had seen on the subway that said "Don't go near the crying ones." It all fell into place. Then he remembered what one soldier in particular said. _"Remember dude, witches are hard to kill. You're better off sneaking around. Oh, and turn off your flashlight, that seems to set them off." _Cross panicked. 'Witches. They were called witches.'

He moved his hand to his flashlight in an attempt to turn it off. But his nerves, combined with his wet clothes that made him cold, were causing him to shiver. The witch suddenly looked up causing cross to jolt. His hand hit his flash light, detaching it from the weapon. He watched it fall to the floor and the lens shatter causing a loud noise. "Oh shit." He whispered. He was frozen with fear. His mind had gone totally blank. He could only think about the infected monster in front of him that was about to rip his throat out. She slowly rose up. She was growling. She stood up to full height. Cross noticed she seemed to be leaning to the right slightly. She put her left foot forward to step towards him. As soon as she put weight on it she screamed and fell to the floor. She started crying again, very quietly. 'She must be injured. Fuck her. She's no threat to me. She can die on her own.' Cross turned away and walked back to the door.

"Help..." He stopped. No, it couldn't be. Could it? He turned towards her. She was looking at him through watery red eyes. "Please...save me." He was shocked to the core. An infected that could speak? He hadn't that from any of the other soldiers back at HQ. But what really shocked him was her voice. It wasn't raspy and rough like he would have expected. It was soft and quiet. Like how a shy child would speak. Cross could tell from her voice she was scared. As scared as him. Cross walked back over to her and knelt down. He realised he hadn't said anything yet. He needed to reassure her. He slowly moved his hand to her head. She flinched way. "It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you." He said reassuringly. The rain cloud outside had parted letting some sunlight into the room. Cross was taken aback by how human she looked. Her skin was pale and her hands were clawed, but other than that, she looked...normal. Her shoulder length platinum blonde hair was smooth, her eyes had gone from red to dull gold and her skin was flawless. No blemishes or boils like the other infected. She was...beautiful. If he had to guess, he would have said she was around 18 or 19 years old.

Cross realised she was only wearing tattered white panties and what looked to be like remnants of a white tank top covering her chest. He slowly moved to her left leg to inspect her injury. Her ankle was bruised and swollen. He suspected it was a sprain. He felt so bad that he actually thought of her as a monster. She was just a scared young woman. "Alright, I think you've sprained your ankle. I've got a med kit in my pack, it's just in there." Cross motioned toward the hotel room across from them. "I'll be right back." She nodded and Cross got up and walked back to where his gear was. He opened his pack to get the med kit when he stopped. 'Wait, what the hell am I doing? She's infected! Maybe they got better at this luring thing and taught themselves to talk. Maybe as soon as I help her, she'll kill me. Cross put his hands on his head. 'But what if she's not insane. I got easily in range of her claws. Maybe she does want to be saved. Cross let out a heavy sigh and continued retrieving his med kit.

He walked back to her room and shut the door behind him. The rain clouds had come out again, making it difficult to see, but he could still see her golden eyes in the dark. He made his way towards her and knelt by her. "Look, I need to lay you down to do this properly, so I'm gonna pick you up and put you on the bed ok?" after a few seconds she nodded. Cross wrapped his arms around and lifted her with ease. She was so light and thin. Who knows when she last ate? As he walked to the bed carrying her bridal-style, she buried her head in his chest. This poor girl. She was terrified. Did she know she was infected? Or that the country had gone to hell? Is that why she was crying? These questions still raced through Cross' head as he placed her on the bed. He propped her foot up with some pillows before he pulled his black Zippo lighter. He flicked open the cap and spun the flint wheel. The flame shot up and covered the room in a dull orange glow. He moved the light closer to her foot to see the injury again. Once he was satisfied that he knew what he was doing, he closed the lighter and got to work. He got out an instant ice pack and held it to the area. She twitched but allowed him to continue. He then slowly bandaged the ankle. It was difficult to do in the dark but he managed. Once he was finished, he inspected his work and stood up. "Alright, that should do it. Try not to move it or put weight on it and try to keep it elevated.

She nodded in understanding. Cross smiled at her then walked towards the door. "Wait..." she said "...Stay." Cross stopped and looked back at her. He didn't want to keep someone who could potentially kill him company. But then again, he didn't want to be alone. He looked at his watch. It was 8:00 PM and the night would soon come. "Alright, I'll stay, but only 'till the morning." A big grin appeared on her face.

"Thank you." She said.

"You're Welcome Miss uh...I'm sorry, I forgot to ask your name?"

She looked down as if in thought. Maybe she couldn't remember? She looked back up at him before smiling. "Holly. My name's Holly" She held out her clawed hand hoping Cross would shake it. He was hesitant, but he'd already gone this far. He reached out and gently shook her hand. "Well Miss Holly, my name is Atticus Cross. Nice to meet you." He said whilst smiling. He let go of her hand. "I'm just gonna get the rest of my gear and then I'll come back ok?" She nodded and he turned around and walked out the room.

He walked back to the room where his gear was. He picked up his rucksack with his supplies in. He then picked up his radio. It wasn't working during the recent storm but he might be able to get a signal in the morning. He then turned to grab his body armour and helmet but stopped. He wouldn't need them. The only weighed him down. Besides, they weren't very effective against spitter goo or a tank's rock throw. He walked back into Holly's hotel room and shut the door. He barricaded the door with a couch before taking of his camo jacket and lying on it. He could just see through the crack in Holly's bedroom door. She was fast asleep. Cross smiled before slowly drifting off to sleep himself.

**[A/N] Well that's the second chapter done and dusted. Thanks for reading guys. Also, I'm still not sure exactly how I want this story to play out. I have a couple of ideas but if you want to send me some plot lines, do feel free. I'll definitely give you credit. Next chapter should be up next week.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**The Boy Who Destroyed the World**

_Cross was standing in a desert alone. He looked himself over, noticing he was dressed in full combat uniform but with no weapons. He surveyed his surroundings. There was nothing as far as the eye could see. Just sand. But something in the distance caught his eye. It was a wooden shack. Almost instantly Cross was flung across the desert to the structure. It was dilapidated. The wood was faded and rotten. There were three windows each covered by wooden shutters and a single door. Cross slowly knocked on it three times. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Cross asked. Slowly the door opened, creaking as it did so. Cross stepped in and observed the room. It was too dark to make anything out but there was a horrible smell. Suddenly, the window shutters flew open, flooding the room with sunlight. Cross' attention was focused on the four body bags placed next to each other on the floor. Cross slowly opened the first bag on his left. He gasped as he saw the body of his ten year old brother. Cross breathed heavily and began to cry. What did this mean? He then opened the next bag. Inside was the body of his father. Cross felt a sharp pain in his chest and cried out in pain. He then moved to the third bag. Inside he found the corpse of Sgt. Bennett dressed in full military dress. Cross couldn't help but feel guilt. He took the dog tags from Bennett's neck and placed them in his back pocket. "Your war's over John. Rest in peace my friend." Cross then looked at the final black bag. He braced himself and steadied his rapid breathing. He unzipped it and his jaw dropped as soon as he saw its occupant. "Holly?" He whispered. Suddenly, Holly's corpse rose up and grabbed him by his shoulders "You're the reason we're dead!" She screamed. She then raised her clawed right hand and slashed his throat. Cross fell back onto the floor, feeling his warm blood flow over his clothes. His vision was starting to fade and eventually, everything went black._

Cross woke with a scream, jumping up from the couch he had been sleeping on. 'Those fucking nightmares are back again.' He thought. He rubbed his temples slowly and then stood up. The sun was up and the rain clouds of the previous day had cleared and the room was bathed in natural light. He checked his watch. 7:12am He felt so scared and confused as he made his way to the bathroom. 'Why are those nightmares back? And why was she there? I must be going insane.' He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, leaning over the sink as he did so. He was a wreck. He was covered in grit, dirt and sweat. His Jet black hair, which he had not had cut in a while, was greasy and ruffled. His emerald green eyes looked lifeless and his pale skin looked whiter. He sighed heavily and turned the tap on the sink. To his surprise, cold water came running out. 'Water tank must still be full.' He thought. He cupped the water into his hands and splashed his face several times. He looked back in the mirror. 'Much better.' He thought.

"Are you okay Atticus, you were talking in your sleep and I heard you scream?" Cross jumped and turned quickly at her voice. She was looking at him with a concerned look spread over her face. He was still nervous around her, but who could blame him. He sighed before turning back to the sink. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a bad dream." He said flatly. She stood there, still studying him. He then turned back to her. "What are you doing walking around? I told you to rest your ankle." She shrugged and then looked at her injured foot.

"It feels fine, the swelling's gone down and it doesn't hurt to put weight on it." She said with a hint of joy in her voice. She wasn't talking as quietly as she was before. Maybe she was just scared last night. "Oh, that' weird. That sort injury usually takes a couple of days to heal." He said as he bent down to examine it. He removed the bandages and was stunned the all the swelling and bruising had disappeared. "Strange, almost like you got some kind of accelerated healing attribute." He said, still amazed. He then stood back up and locked eyes with her. "Holly can I ask you a question?" She looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. "Why haven't you killed me?" She was taken aback by that question. Cross then realised he probably shouldn't have asked it so bluntly. "Am I supposed to do that?" She asked. "Well the other infected are killing people. But you're different. You can talk, you're passive. I've never seen anything like you before." Holly took that as a compliment and blushed. She was confused however. "If you thought I was dangerous, then why did you help me?" She asked. Cross sighed. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure why he helped her. Maybe because she asked him to or because he wanted some kind of company. He looked her in the eye. "I don't really know. I just felt...compelled to help you. I'm a soldier after all; guess it was just drilled into me". Cross walked past her and sat back on the couch. She sat next him and asked "What was your dream about Atticus?" Cross leaned back in the chair. "I don't really want to talk about it." He said. He looked at her and noticed she looked kind of sad at his response. Cross' gaze then fell to her body. Her clothes were very dirty. He had no idea how long she had been cooped up in hear. "Tell you what; you got running water here so you should take a bath. I'll get you some new clothes and then when you're done we can talk some more okay?"

Holly nodded "Okay".

Holly got up and made her way to the bathroom. Cross watched her the whole way. He couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. Holly was about to close the bathroom door before she looked back at him.

"Atticus?"

"Yeah?" He answered

"Thanks for staying with me. I really appreciate it."

Cross smiled. "Thanks for letting me stay."

She smiled back and continued shutting the door. She stopped when she heard Cross call out "By the way, call me Cross. I hate my first name." That wasn't true. But being in the army since 18 years of age, he had got used to everyone calling him by his last name. "You got it...Cross." She then shut the door.

Cross then sat forward and looked at the bathroom door. "She is a very interesting girl." He muttered to himself, before he turned to look out the window, observing the ruined and broken city.

"And today's gonna be pretty interesting too."

**[A/N] Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed, especially all of you who have followed and favourited. It really gives me incentive to write when I get a response. I was unsure about this story when I came up with it and that's why it took me a while to get round to publishing it as it is also my first fanfic but I'm glad I did. Chapter 4 should be up next week. Also I pick the title for my chapters randomly. The title of this one for example is the name of a song and I thought it sounded good.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**My Own Worst Enemy**

**[A/N] In the chapter, we will learn a bit about Cross' childhood and his origins as well as what he plans to do about Holly. Enjoy!**

**[I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD]**

Cross took in the sight of the plagued city before him. He had always hated the city. The noise and hustle of the people through the streets always concerned him. Cross was born on a farm in western Iowa and home schooled for the first years of his life. The first time he even went to a city was when he had to attend high school. Those years at high school changed Cross a lot. He was picked on and bullied for the first year, people making fun of him because he was from a farm. It didn't help that Cross was not up to date on current events in the entertainment world. He didn't know any modern bands, artists or actors and he didn't dress like everyone else. He managed to put an end to all the teasing when one day he broke another kid's nose with a lunch tray and then proceeded to remind the kid he knew 3 different ways to skin a cow. All the bullying stopped after that, but he was still an outcast. He had no friends, he couldn't talk to girls and he was failing almost every class.

Cross turned his attention away from the window and back to think about that nightmare. He'd had ones similar to that before. They started during his fifth month in Afghanistan. Cross felt his actions, or rather lack of them, caused the deaths of two young soldiers, and Cross would see their faces every time he went to sleep. Overtime, their faces were replaced by his brothers and fathers. Cross would wake up almost every day screaming. His platoon commander suggested he visit a psychiatrist in case he was suffering PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder). Cross was reluctant at first to see a shrink, but after being told it was that or face a possible discharge, he really had no choice. The therapist concluded that Cross blamed himself for almost every terrible event in his life and that he was torturing himself over because of it. That was true; it was his fault his brother Tom died. If he had been watching him like he was asked, then he would have stopped Tom from ever jumping into that river and drowning. As for his father, well, Cross didn't even want to think about that. That was why Sgt. Bennett was in the dream. Cross could have saved him; he just didn't try hard enough. But why was Holly there? She wasn't dead. Could cross' dream be predicting her fate? No, that was stupid. Dreams couldn't do that, could they?

Cross stood up and walked to Holly's room in search of some clothing for her. He opened the closets to find them empty. He sighed and turned out of the room, until he noticed something behind the door. A small black suitcase. He picked it up and placed it on the bed. It must be hers, she was staying here right? The case was unlocked so he unzipped it. It had a few T-shirts and pants, a pair of converse and a red sweatshirt. He picked out a black shirt, grey sweatpants, the shoes and the red sweatshirt, as well as a bra and underwear. He wasn't comfortable handling a ladies delicates. He had only been with one girl, and that was a drunken one night stand while he was on leave. This was a new experience. He searched the rest of the suitcase when he stumbled across what appeared to be a passport. He opened and gazed at the picture of its owner. "Holly?" he whispered. She had the same blonde hair all though it was slightly darker, her skin was still pale and her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. She thick black make up around her eyes. She was still beautiful even in a photo like this. He scanned the information.

Nationality-USA

Surname-OAKES

Given Names-HOLLY

Sex-F

Date of Birth-22 NOV 1993

Place of Birth-CHICAGO, USA

'_Nineteen, She's only nineteen.' _Cross felt his heart sink. This poor girl is so young and now her life has been ripped away. He then remembered the speech his mother gave him when he dropped out of school to join the military. _"You're throwing your life away! And for what? To fight a war that we can't win? We didn't raise you to make stupid decisions!" _That conversation was still sore in his head. That was the last time he spoke to his mother.

He then heard the bathroom door open and Holly walking out. He quickly put her passport back in the case before picking up her clothing and walking out to her. He nearly gasped when he saw her. Her skin was clean and her hair was soft. "Here, I hope these are alright." He said as he handed her the garments. Holly was standing with nothing but a small towel around herself, making Cross blush as he tried not to look. "Thank you Cross." She said as she took them in her left claw whilst holding the towel up with her right. She walked to her room, noticing Cross looking uncomfortable. She shut the door behind her and got dressed. "Cross, could you help me? This isn't easy with these things on my hands." Cross' heart began to beat faster. He gulped and slowly opened the door.

Holly was standing with her back to him. She had her sweatpants on but her torso was bear. "I can't clip in my bra with these...things." she said as she held up her claws. "Would you uh...give me a h-hand?" she said shakily. Cross breathed heavily. He walked behind her and began to clip her bra. Holly could hear his breathing was shaky, which worried her. She hoped he wasn't too scared of her. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" She said quietly. Cross gulped "N-No, I've just never done something like this before. Not sober anyway." He said. "Oh, I thought that maybe because of what I am, you might be hesitant."

"Honestly, even if you weren't infected, I'd still be shaky." He said chuckling a little.

"Well for what it's worth, I've never been alone with a boy before, so I guess we're even." She replied.

"Yeah I guess we are."

He finished his task and took a step back and turned around as she finished dressing herself. "Thank you Cross. Not just for this but...for everything."

Cross smiled and turned back to her "Honestly Holly, it's no trouble. I'm glad I stayed here with you." She smiled back before she walked over and hugged him. He was caught totally off guard and wasn't sure what to do. He slowly wrapped his arms around her small frame and pulled her closer to him. He towered above her at 6'1 while she was an average 5'5. He held her there for what felt like hours, feeling her heart beat a mile a minute. He then heard her crying. He pulled away and looked at her "Hey, what's wrong, are you hurt?" She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I'm sorry, it's just...you're the first person to ever help me and care for me. I've been so alone. Not just now but, before the infection too. I didn't think anyone would give me the time of day, but you...you're different." She Stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek. Cross was dumbstruck. No one had ever shown him affection like before, especially not a beautiful young woman. He thought back to last night, how he was ready to end it all. How he couldn't complete the mission. Well, now he had a new mission. He was going to help this girl. He was going to save her, just like she asked him to. For once in his miserable existence, he would do the right thing. He pulled her back into a tight embrace.

"I will save you Holly. I promise I will save you. No matter what the cost."

**[A/N] Well it's getting a bit tense now right? How will Cross save Holly? Will his nightmares come true? Thanks to everyone who has read this, I honestly didn't think anyone would. I've finally figured out a plot line to this story and what direction I want it to take so I promise I will finish it. I have no plans to let you guys down. Thank you all. As always, next chapter will be up next week.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Hope for Humanity**

**I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD**

About ten minutes had passed since Cross made his promise to save Holly. They were both sitting on the couch in an awkward silence. Holly was watching intently as Cross was desperately searching for a signal with his radio. A part of her wondered what he thought about her kissing and hugging him. After a few more minutes, he threw his radio down, placed his head in his hands and sighed. Holly immediately leaned forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?" She asked. Cross looked at her before leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. "The radio works fine, but I can't get a God damn signal. Either my HQ was overrun, or they pulled back out of range. Either way, I don't see me getting through to them any time soon." Holly just stared at him for a few moments before he continued. "Besides, not like they'd get us out anyway." Holly looked at him puzzled.

"Why not?" She asked.

"There's no way they'd risk a helicopter and its crew to get a lowly private and an infected civilian out. There's nothing in it for them." He sighed again before standing up again and punching the wall. "Fuck! I can't do anything right!" He turned back to Holly who was looking at him with fear in her eyes. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that." He then put his back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. "Holly walked over to where he was sitting and took a place next to him. "Hey, it's alright. I know you're trying your hardest." She said very sincerely. Cross didn't even look at her. She knew he was angry but very sad as well. _'Come on Holly, look at him. He's risking a lot to save you. You have to give him some kind of hope.'_ Holly sat there thinking of a solution. Then it hit her. "Wait, you said I was different right? Not like the other infected?" Cross met her eyes, trying to grasp at what she was thinking. "Yeah, that's right. Why?"

"Well what if I'm different for a reason. What if...if...if I'm the answer. What if the cure to the infection is in me, and that's the reason I'm different. Then they would have to come get us." She had excitement in her voice. Cross took a few moments to think about what she'd said. _'She might be right. She's clearly fought some of the infection off. I mean sure, she has the pale skin and huge claws, but her brain is in intact. And really, if we can just give the infected their mind back, we'd be on the right path back to normality.' _He looked back at her and gave a small smile which she returned. "You might be right Holly, but you don't know what they'd do to you. They might have to kill you to find out what's in your body. I couldn't let that happen to you." Holly was touched that Cross cared for her like that. He was the first person in her life to feel that way for her. "Look Cross, if I hold the key to the cure, then I really don't have a choice. If I have to die to save countless others, I'll do it. But hopefully it won't come to that." Cross nodded. "I hope it doesn't Holly." The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. Sure, science and medicine and progressed over the past few years, and they might even be able to extract a cure from a single blood sample, but that was no guarantee that Holly would not be harmed. They would probably have a field day dissecting her body and seeing what made her tick. But she was right. It was the only way of getting a rescue team to risk their lives to get them. But there was still a one more problem. He ran his fingers through his matted black hair and sighed. "Well, even if that would bring a rescue team to us, we still don't have a way of contacting them." Holly leaned back against the wall and fell into deep thought, before she found yet another solution to their problems. "Wait! I've got it!" Her outburst startled Cross, almost giving him a heart attack. "I'm pretty sure there's a radio station on the north side of the city. I'm pretty sure a passed it when I first came here. The radio there has a much bigger broadcast range doesn't it?" Cross though once again to himself. "I think you're right. The military must be monitoring every available frequency for survivors!" The girl had hit the nail on the head again and was feeling very proud of herself. "How'd you get so smart huh?" She giggled at that comment as she watched Cross stand up and move to his pack. He searched for a few seconds before pulling out a map and laying it out on the nearby table. He opened it full and examined it. "Okay, where do you think the station is?" He asked. She simply pointed to a point near the northern edge of the city "I think it was there." Cross examined the area. Right next to where she pointed was a bridge. "Hmm, there's a good chance the station might be gone." Holly looked at him confused. "What do you mean 'gone'?" she asked. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Well the air force knocked out all bridges and freeways in the city, to stop the infected from getting around easily. The station in right next to this bridge. If the air force misplaced one of their payloads, there's a good chance they hit the station by mistake."He finished. Cross had a defeated look on his face. He wasn't one to give up easily, but to him, this situation was hopeless. Holly looked at his expression. "Well we have to try, don't we?" Cross looked at her. This girl was incredibly strong minded. Anyone else would give up, but not her. "You're right. We have to try." He looked the map. "We're about 15 miles away," He checked his watch. "And there's about 6 hours of good daylight left. We need to go now." He looked at her, awaiting her response. She nodded her head.

"Alright, let's go."

**[A/N] Well, now our two young protagonists have an objective. Reach the radio station and try to contact the military for a rescue. But will they make it? Does Holly hold the cure to the infection? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out won't you? Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows. They really mean a lot to me.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Just Like Old Times**

**[I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD]**

Cross and Holly were preparing themselves for the journey ahead. He had his mission. Reach the radio station, contact the military. Save Holly. Sounded simple enough, if you ignore the thousands of rage-filled infected maniacs that were littered across the city. Cross put on his BDU jacket, rolling the sleeves to his elbows and put on his black combat gloves. Cross had searched and raided every cupboard and drawer in the room for anything that could be considered useful. There wasn't much. Some pain pills and the odd bar of chocolate was all he could find. '_Better than nothing I suppose.'_ He thought to himself. He threw the new found "Supplies" in his pack and put it over his shoulders, tightening the straps so it wouldn't slip. He also picked up his radio, thinking that it may be useful at some point. After helping Holly put on her shoes and tie them, which reminded him of something out of Cinderella, they were ready. He readied his rifle and moved to the door. They carefully moved out of the room to the deserted corridor. He looked in right then left. He looked back at Holly. "Alright, it's clear. Let's move."

They both slowly made their way to the stairwell at the far end of the corridor. All the lights had cut out and so it was very hard for Cross to see. The sun was out outside however. The infected were quieter during the day, he figured it was something about the sunlight that affected them and caused them to seek solace inside dark buildings. Like this one. They made their way to the stairwell and began their descent. Six flights later, they were in the lobby. It was a mess. Blood and drag marks littered the once respectable looking reception area. Cross still had his rifle shouldered, expecting a confrontation. But there was none. The lobby was empty. He led Holly to the double doors and pushed through onto the street.

Holly was shocked at the scene. Since the infection turned into a pandemic, she had spent her time in her hotel room. Scared, injured and alone. She had no idea what had been happening outside. It was like something from a movie. The entire street was wrecked. Cars were littered everywhere. Blood stained the sidewalk and spent bullet casings could be seen glinting in the sunlight.

Cross didn't seem fazed by it at all. And why would he? He'd been through similar situations before. Perhaps not on this scale, but a warzone was a warzone as far as he was concerned. This place wasn't that different to Afghanistan. Spitters and Smokers were the snipers who ambushed you at range, and disappearing before you had a chance to retaliate. And boomers were the suicide bombers, hitting you just when you felt at your safest. It was just like old times.

Except before, he had platoon of well armed, well trained soldiers to watch his back. Now he had a scared, young woman by his side. He didn't even know if Holly could kill an infected if it came to it. He knew at some point, they would be cornered by a horde, or he would be pinned by a Hunter and she would have to take a life. Cross had killed many people, and although it wasn't easy, he coped with it. He knew that although the job of a soldier had expanded and evolved over the years, they were still warriors. Trained to kill the enemy, and that's exactly what he had been doing.

He slowly walked down the street with Holly in tow. Cross couldn't help but carefully check the ground he was stepping on as if he was checking for IEDs. Old habits definitely died hard.

He was scanning the street for any sign of movement. Holly was also scanning, taking in the destruction. She was still shocked that this had happened. She had so many questions she needed to ask.

"So uh Cross...how did this all happen?" She asked quietly.

"Well, first off it was nothing, just an advanced form of flu. Or so everybody thought. Soon everybody was changing. Violent attacks went up, along with murders and pretty soon all hell broke loose." He answered.

"So if the infection isn't flu like they said, what the hell is it?" She said as they continued down the street.

"There's conflicting theories. Some thought it was a mutated strain of rabies; others said it was it caused by a biological weapon that a terrorist group had managed to get their hands on. Some people even thought it was an alien parasite that the government had released from Area-51. But nobody's really certain."

Holly took in that information, slowly thinking about each possibility. _'Well rabies would explain the behaviour of the infected, but not the mutations. A terror attack just seems like a story someone would cook up just to have somebody to blame. And aliens? That just sounds too farfetched.' _Holly contemplated in her mind.

"So...what do you think it is?" She asked him.

Cross sighed "Well... I mean rabies kind of makes sense with the rage and that. But it spread very quickly you know? And it would only account for some of the infections symptoms and side effects. And then it became waterborne as well, and it's only affecting humans. A bio attack sounds too 'Hollywood' for me. I mean getting your hands on a weapon like that would be very difficult, and whoever you stole it from was bound to notice. As for an alien attack somehow orchestrated by our government? Well as stupid as our government is, I don't think they'd do that." He finished.

Holly nodded and went back to thinking about the infections.

Cross still had a question on his mind however. "So uh...how'd you get infected?"

Cross really didn't want to ask her that but maybe her answer could give him a clue on what the infection was and how it was caused.

"Well uh..." she cleared her throat before continuing "...I was in my hotel room packing my stuff ready to go home when I just started to feel really dizzy and really tired. I hadn't really felt hot the whole day before now I think about it. Then I started puking really bad. And Then I passed out. When I woke up, my skin and hair had changed and I had these things on my hands."

Cross could see she was uncomfortable talking about it but he had to press her more.

"So what did you do?"

She sighed "Well I walked into the corridor when some bastard in a hoodie started jumping at me and clawing my clothes off. I thought he was some kind of crazy pervert. So I kicked him off me, which was surprisingly easy, and then slashed his face before I ran back to my room. As I ran, I twisted my ankle and had to crawl my way back. That bastard nearly broke the door down, until I heard a car alarm going off and he suddenly stopped. I could hear him walking away and he never came back. I stayed up there for God knows how long, just crying. I don't know why but I just started crying. And then you came along." She gave a small smile when she mentioned him.

"So you had no idea what happened?" He asked

"Well before I turned, I heard about the green flu. Posters were everywhere and it was always on the news. I pretty much figured that's what must have been affecting me and that guy. But I had no idea that it was **this **bad"

Cross still couldn't figure out how she got infected in the first place. But those questions could come later.

However, Holly still had questions of her own. "So how does it spread?" she asked

"Well uh, swapping body fluids, you know like blood and saliva and ingestion of water afflicted with the virus seem to be the way it's getting transmitted the fastest. I suppose the rate of the infection spreading would make sense if somehow a water supply was contaminated. Then people kissing each other, or drug users trading needles would work too. Then of course, people biting each other."

"Is it airbourne?"

"They said it was, but I'm not convinced. If it was, it would have spread so quickly, we would never have had a chance to fight back."

Holly mulled that over in her mind, trying to think of how she became afflicted with the disease. But of course, she had yet another question.

"So um, are you sure it's wise to be hanging around an infected like me?"

Cross chuckled as they turned a corner onto another main road

"Don't worry bright eyes, I'm immune."

She looked at him puzzled

"Bright eyes?" she inquired

"Sorry, I'm always my friends' nicknames. Hope you don't mind."

Holly shrugged, but she knew she was growing on him. He called her a friend.

"It's fine. So how'd you know you're immune?" she asked.

Cross peered into a dark alley. Once he was sure it was clear he answered.

"Well when the infection started to spread further and started to make people go insane, all the guys in my unit had blood tests to see who was susceptible to being affected. Those who were, got quarantined, and the rest stayed on. Government started doing that to everyone on CEDAs advice. But it was too little too late, and there was no quick and easy way to do those kinds of tests in the middle of the street. In the end, they just abandoned everyone. Pulled out and blocked off all the cities and town affected. Fucking cowards." Cross was angry at how the government and those bastards CEDA had responded to the infection. At first they did nothing, and when they finally took some action, they did all the wrong things. They made the whole thing worse as far as he was concerned.

They continued walking down the street until cross stopped suddenly.

"What? What's wrong?" Holly asked worryingly as she looked around trying to find the source of Cross' fear. Then she heard and ear piercing scream.

Cross whispered so quietly, she barely heard him.

"Hunter."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**A Promise Kept**

**[I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD]**

Holly panicked. "Hunter? What the hell's a Hunter?" She whispered. Cross' vision was transfixed on a fourth floor apartment balcony on the left side of the street, watching the shadowy figure. "You know that hooded son of a bitch that attacked you?" Holly followed Cross' stare until she saw what he was looking at. "Oh shit! What the hell do we do?" Cross slowly glanced around at their surroundings. "We can't outrun him, we gonna have to fight." Cross answered. He stepped forward and stood in front of Holly to protect her. "When I tell you, take cover behind that white car." Holly looked to her right and saw the vehicle. The Hunter was still on the balcony, formulating his attack plan. He was staring intently at the young Witch. Cross tightened his grip on his rifle, waiting for the infected to pounce. The Hunter began to crouch lower and lower, ready to strike. Cross knew immediately what was about to happen. "Now!" He screamed. Just as he did, the Hunter made its move. It leapt of the balcony straight at Cross, as Holly ran and hid behind the white car.

Cross brought up his rifle to try and shoot the Hunter in mid air, but he wasn't quick enough. The Hunter slammed into him, knocking the rifle out of his hands and under a van. Cross was slammed into the ground causing severe pain to his back. But that didn't stop Cross from punching the Hunter as hard as he could in the jaw, nearly breaking his hand in the process. The Hunter shook it off and screamed. He grabbed Cross by his collar and raised him up in the air. Cross could have sworn he saw the Hunter smile before he threw him across the street and into the wall of a building. The Hunter watched as Cross' body hit the wall making a dull thud and then fall down to the ground. The Hunter stared at Cross' motionless form as it laid on the sidewalk. He didn't know if he was dead or unconscious, but either way, he wouldn't be stopping him from getting the Witch anytime soon.

Holly screamed as Cross lay there, not moving. _"No, no he can't be dead! He can't be! He can't leave me here alone!" _she though desperately. Her eyes started to form tears.

The Hunter turned its gaze to Holly. She was frozen with fear. The Hunter made a noise that almost sounded like it was laughing. Holly had no idea what to do. Should she take a chance and run, or should she try and fight? Before she could decide, she was tackled to the ground by the Hunter. Her head hit the ground, dazing her. Her vision blurred. She had no chance. She couldn't fight him off. And even if she could kill him and get away, Cross wouldn't be with her. She'd be alone, like she always had been.

Cross' eyes flittered open. It took him a few seconds to remember what happened. Then it all came flooding back. "Holly." He whispered. He looked up and saw her. She was pinned underneath the Hunter. Cross became filled with anger and rage. He was going to kill this bastard, and he was going to make him suffer. He stood up and drew his bayonet. He walked silently as he could across the street, behind the Hunter. _"Alright you fucking asshole, say goodnight."_

The Hunter eyed Holly up and down. His intentions were very clear. He could smell her scent from across the city and it had driven him insane. He wanted her. He clawed at her sweatshirt and shredded it. His demented eyes filled with lust and desire. Holly could only wait for it. She had given up in fighting back. She was tired, scared and depressed. She felt she had failed Cross, that she had asked too much of him. _"I'm sorry Atticus. I'm so sorry." _

Suddenly, the Hunter was yanked back by his hood and off of Holly. She looked up and saw Cross with his left arm wrapped around the Hunters head holding a knife in his right hand. "You do not touch her again!" he screamed, his voice filled with pure hatred. Before the Hunter could react, Cross plunged the bayonet into the side of the Hunters neck.

The infected spasmed violently but Cross would not release his vice-like grip. Blood poured out of the wound as Cross forced his weapon deeper in to the enemy's throat. After a few more seconds, the Hunter went limp. Cross threw the body aside. He stared at it for a while, looking for any signs of life. But there were none. The infected killer was dead. Cross had never had to use his knife in battle before, but there was a first time for everything he supposed.

Cross turned to Holly. The clothing on her torso was ripped apart, except for her bra. "Are you alright?" He asked her. She was stunned. She thought he was dead. But here he was, saving her, just like he had promised. She stood up and flung her arms around him. She hugged him as tight as she could. Cross returned the hug. "I...I thought I lost you." She said her voice breaking as she spoke. Cross broke the hug and looked at her face. "Hey, look at me." She brought her bright red eyes up to meet his green ones. "You're not losing me any time soon. I promised I would save you, and I meant it." Holly nodded. She could hear the sincerity in his voice. She looked over at the Hunters corpse. She bent down and pulled his hood back. She gasped as she saw his face. He had four diagonal cuts across it. _"It's him, the one from the hotel. You fucking son of a bitch." _She thought to herself. "Holly, you ok?" Cross asked. She regained her composure. "Yeah, fine. We should get moving." She said. Cross stared at her for a second, taking in her appearance. She was clearly shaken by the whole ordeal. Cross slipped of his pack and then took his BDU jacket off. "Holly wait!" he shouted to her. She stopped and looked back at him. He ran over now wearing only his tight green army T-shirt and held his jacket out. "Here, you can wear this until we find you some new clothes." She looked at him, and then his jacket. "Cross... I couldn't-" She began, until he cut her off. "It's no trouble honestly. Besides, I can't let you walk around with nothing but rags on can I?"

She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer. She sighed and took his jacket. She slipped it on, careful not to rip it with her claws. It was a little big on her, but she didn't mind, she was just glad to wear it. Cross couldn't help but smile. She looked very cute in his uniform. "How do I look?" She asked. Cross chuckled.

"Very nice Miss Holly, we'll make a soldier out of you yet." They both laughed, the earlier event with the Hunter now becoming nothing more than a bad dream. "Come on then soldier boy, let's go." She said, smiling at him while she did so. He loved seeing her smile, it just added to her beauty. Cross retrieved his pack and his rifle before continuing down the street with her. He took one last look at the Hunters corpse. As much as he didn't want to admit it, that wouldn't be the last ordeal they would have to deal with.

They had been walking for fifteen minutes, running into a couple of common infected as they went, before Holly spoke.

"So why is it called a 'Hunter' then?" She asked.

"Well, the infection affects some people differently. With that guy, it gave him increased muscle power and agility, meaning he can jump really far. Command started giving them all code names so we could call them out in a fight." He explained.

"Are you telling me there are more people like him?" She questioned.

Cross nodded "Unfortunately yes. But Hunters aren't the only problem." Cross then proceeded to explain about the other special infected types, and how they would work together to kill survivors.

"Wow, that's crazy." Holly said, taking it all in. "Is there a code name for what I am?" She asked. Cross looked at her. "Um... yeah, but I don't think you wanna hear it."He replied. She looked up at him. "Oh come on, I can take it." She said eagerly. Cross sighed "Fine, we call your type a... a Witch." He said.

He looked at her to gauge her reaction. A small smile appeared on her face. "A Witch huh...I like that. Makes me sound...evil and dangerous." She said.

Cross looked at her and laughed. "Dangerous maybe. But evil? I'm not so sure."

They both laughed as they continued walking down the street as the sun slowly began to set.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Sorrow**

**[A/N] Sorry for the late chapter guys, I'm disappointed in myself. I've just been busy with college and I met this girl and blah blah. Anyway, I promise this story will get finished. I won't let you down!**

**[I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD]**

Cross and Holly had been walking for a few hours now and were making good time. They still had a way to go, but Cross estimated they could reach the radio station by tomorrow evening if there were no complications. He looked up at the sky, the sun was fading away and it looked like there were storm clouds on the horizon. He looked at Holly. She was exhausted. Her feet were dragging and she was breathing heavily. He had offered to carry her but she had refused, saying she wanted to keep what was left of her dignity. They needed to find shelter and rest for the night. "Cross?" Holly spoke up, snapping Cross out of his thoughts. "Yes Holly?" He casually replied. "Why the hell can't we take a car? There are plenty around here." Cross just laughed, it hadn't dawned on him that he hadn't explained that. "Every street is littered with vehicles. It's easier to get through on foot. Plus' cars make noise, we'd have the infected on our tail the whole way there." He stated.

"Oh." Was all Holly could say. She felt so stupid for asking. _"Of course we can't take a car! I'm so God damn stupid. Get your head on girl." _She mentally scolded herself.

Holly stopped berating herself when Cross stopped in his tracks suddenly. "What? Is it another Hunter?" She asked, her voice riddled with fear. "No. Look over there." Cross pointed at a lone army Humvee in the middle of the street. Sat against the front left wheel was the corpse of a soldier. Cross slowly walked over to the vehicle, his rifle aimed straight at the body's head. Bullet casings surrounded the Humvee. The barrel of the .50 cal machine gun atop the vehicle was warped from excessive firing. This was somebody's last stand. He came within touching distance and nudged the body with his boot. There was no response. Cross sighed heavily as he knelt down next to the corpse. He couldn't have been dead more than a day. Cross looked at his face. He was just a kid, barely 18 years old. The soldier's jacket was shredded, blood all over his torso. The areas around his ribs were badly cut. There were drag marks, indicating he was wounded down the street, and then pulled over here. Cross could just barely make out the castle patch on the soldier's sleeve. _"Combat engineer." _Cross thought. The soldier had been stripped of his ammo and weapons, someone in his squad must have got out. Either that or he was looted by a civilian. The way he was wounded suggested it was a Hunter, maybe even the same one Cross had killed earlier. "What a horrible way to die." Holly said a hint of sorrow in her voice. Cross looked at the body closer. His skin was pale and there was vomit around his mouth. Cross noticed the soldier's left sleeve had been rolled up. He checked his left arm. The veins were dark red and easily visible.

"No, he was euthanized." Cross said, with his back to her. Holly was confused.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

Cross wiped the brow of his forehead with the back of his hand. Some very bad memories were coming back.

"Judging by the depth of his wounds, he was bleeding slowly and was probably in a lot of pain. He has vomit around his lips and the veins on his arms are red. All signs point to a morphine overdose. Someone in his squad probably did it to end his suffering. Guess they couldn't bring themselves to put a bullet in his head. That or they didn't want to waste ammo." Cross said solemnly.

Now Holly was really confused. "Wait, how do you know what the effects of a morphine overdose are?" She asked. He sighed heavily.

"Because... it's the way my dad killed himself."

She was shocked to the core. _"His dad committed suicide?"_

Holly didn't know what to say. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. Her mother died in childbirth and her father abandoned her when she was 6 months old. But having a parent kill themselves? That was something she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"Atticus I'm...I'm sorry." That was all she could say.

"Don't worry. It was my fault, not yours." He said flatly.

Cross looked up to the sky as the distant rumble of thunder sounded. It sounded like some very hard rain was coming.

"We need to move. We'll find somewhere to sleep for tonight, and get going again in the morning." Before Holly could say anything, he walked off down the street.

Holly ran and caught up with him. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. It was deathly silent. What could she possibly say to him? She had never dealt with something like this. He was her friend and he was hurting, and yet she couldn't help him. _"What kind of friend am I? I can't even say anything to make this better." _

"I was 16 when he did it."

Holly looked up at him. She didn't want to hear this but she knew she had to listen.

"I caught my mom cheating on him with one of the farm hands. I was the only one who knew. For days I debated on whether or not I should tell him. Eventually I did. He didn't take it well. He had a huge fight with her, ended up taking off without saying goodbye. Two weeks later, we got a call from the police saying they found his body a few miles away, in a park, under the very tree where he proposed to my mother. He had posed as a doctor at a hospital there to steal the morphine. He had a note in his pocket, saying how much he loved us. It was my fault he did it. I should've kept my mouth shut. I've never forgiven myself for that. I never will." Holly could tell Cross was trying desperately not to cry.

He didn't want to cry in front of her. He couldn't show himself, her protector and saviour, as weak. She placed a hand on his shoulder. She didn't say anything, but then again, she didn't need to. That one act told Cross that Holly would stick by him and always be there for him. He appreciated it. He had only known her a few days, but it felt like a lifetime.

The rain was pounding down now, soaking them to the bone. They needed to find shelter as soon as possible. Eventually, they came across an abandoned grocery store. It was barricaded well and had two mattresses inside. This would have to do them for tonight.

Cross knew Holly would want to ask a lot of questions about his life and his childhood. But he was prepared to answer. He had nothing to hide.

He would do anything for her.

**[A/N] Finally this one's done. So there it is, Cross' past has been revealed a little more. Next chapter will be a big heart to heart between our two protagonists. We will learn more about both their tough childhoods, what spurred Cross to join the army, and Holly's loneliness. Thanks for reading guys and girls. Keep reviewing!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Please Take Me Home**

Holly and Cross moved entered the grocery store through a small window. It was dark and quiet. So quiet, they could hear each other's heartbeat. Cross swept the place, checking every inch and making sure he knew where the exits were. Holly never left his side. Every shelf had been cleared of its contents, raided when the epidemic started. Once he was satisfied they were safe, he led Holly to the checkout area where the mattresses were. Their clothes were soaked through. Cross knew he had to take them off if he didn't want to catch anything. He knew Holly didn't have to. She seemed to be able to heal fairly quickly. Maybe she couldn't even get sick while she was infected. He cleared his throat "Um, seeing how my clothes are drenched, I should uh...take them off so I don't get sick." Holly blinked. _"Wait. This guy's going to strip down in front of me? That's a first." _Holly thought to herself.

She nodded before cross made his way to the bathroom. He took off all his clothes bar his boxer shorts. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He walked back out to where Holly was and his jaw dropped. She was sitting on one of the makeshift beds in only her underwear. She looked up at him "What? I didn't want you to feel self-conscious. Besides, wet clothes aren't exactly comfortable." Cross stood just stood there. Sure, she was half naked when they met, but that was under different circumstances. She was voluntarily in her underwear just to make him feel better. He nervously sat on the opposite bed, facing her. There was an awkward silence. They weren't sure what to say to each other. Cross saw this as an opportunity to get to know Holly a little better.

"So Holly, tell me about yourself." She looked at him puzzled. Then she realised what he was doing. She cleared her throat "Uh well...I'm from Chicago. I'm 19 and um I'm a zombie." They both chuckled at the last part of that sentence. "Tell me about your school life then."

She sighed "Well there isn't much to tell. I was an outcast. You know that kid who sits at the back of class and doesn't say a word? That kid whose name you don't even know? That was me. I had no friends, no boys liked me. I was a tomboy, an emo, at least that's what everyone else said." Cross felt his heart ache in his chest. He couldn't believe that a girl like this was treated that way.

"What about your family?" he asked. She was avoiding his gaze. He knew this wasn't going to be a happy story. "My mom died in childbirth. I never got to know her but I wish I could have. She was so beautiful. My dad abandoned me when I was still a baby, just six months old. I had no brothers or sisters. I was put into care. When I was eleven, I was put with a foster family in Michigan. They...hurt me. They hit me, starved me and nearly killed me. It wasn't until teachers at school noticed my bruises and scars that it stopped. They were arrested and I was put with another family in Indianapolis when I was fifteen. I came here for college."

Cross felt so bad for her. This beautiful, strong woman had been through some terrible ordeals. She didn't deserve any of it. "What about you?" She asked.

"Well uh, I'm twenty two and I was born on a farm in western Iowa. I was homeschooled until I was thirteen before mom and dad sent me to Sioux City for high school. They did that with my older sister too. I got picked on bad. Everyone was making jokes about my upbringing. I ignored it at first but then it got worse and worse. One day in the lunch room, this kid made some joke about my family were a bunch of backward, inbred hicks. Everyone was laughing at me and I just snapped. I got up and smashed his face with my lunch tray. I busted his nose and blood was spilling out. I pulled out my pocket knife and told him that I skinned animals on a daily basis back home, and I knew three different ways to do it. No one fucked with me after that. I became an outcast, a ghost just floating through the halls." Holly couldn't believe it. He was picked on because of his upbringing? That was just pathetic. He was an outcast just like her.

Holly felt his pain. The pain of isolation and of loneliness.

"Why did you join the army?" She questioned. He looked up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well I was failing in every class; I knew I could work on the farm even if I didn't graduate but I didn't want to. I just had to get out. One day, a recruiter shows up at school. He starts telling me to become a man, fight for your country and save some lives. That last part brought it home. I was responsible for the deaths of my father and my brother and I thought, maybe by helping those in some war torn country, I could make up for that. So I dropped out and joined up. Before I knew it, I was in Afghanistan."

"What was that like?" She pushed further.

"It's weird. No matter what you see on TV or hear from others who have fought in a war, nothing can prepare you for it. You feel so alive even though you're so close to death. It was like a drug. Fighting and killing became my life for four years. That's when I started hating myself. I wasn't there saving lives, I was ending them. A victim of my own fucking hypocrisy."

Holly decided not to ask any further, he was clearly agitated by it all. She asked something else instead. "What about your family?"

"Well you know about my dad. My younger brother Tom died when he was ten. He drowned in a river because I wasn't looking out for him like I was supposed to." Holly's heart sunk again. He had lost two family members at a young age_. "He must be so torn up inside."_ He continued "I've got an older sister, her names Alexandra. She's twenty eight. She's a doctor, or she was, I'm not sure where she is now. Her hospital would have been flooded with infected so she must have seen it all first hand. Can't imagine what it must've been like watching someone normal turn into a monster. And I haven't seen or spoken to my mom since I left. She pretty much disowned me. I shouldn't have expected her to understand what I was doing. I argued with her and my sister for hours about it. I never even said goodbye when I left. That's my biggest regret. I'd give anything to know what happened to them. I just wanna go home."

Cross' eyes were starting to tear up. He hadn't cried since his dads' funeral. He buried his head in his hands and wept. He cried for his family, his dead platoon and their families, for all the civilians plagued by infection and he even cried for Holly.

She was stunned. This brave soldier, whose life had been torn apart by death, was now sobbing in front of her. She didn't know what to do. She hated seeing him like this.

She got up and slowly made her way to him. She knelt down in front of him and placed her hands on the sides of his head. She raised his head so their faces were level. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. Cross found himself doing the same thing. Their lips met. It was so gentle yet so passionate. It lasted but a moment before he pulled away. He stood up and walked a few steps away from her. "You shouldn't have done that." He said with his back to her. "I'm sorry...I just...didn't want to see you cry." She felt she had crossed a line. She got up and walked back to her bed as Cross walked back to his. "Just get some sleep" He said flatly. They lied down on their mattresses, facing away from each other, and slowly drifted off.

A few hours later, Holly awoke. The rain was still pouring down and the air was bitterly cold. It was still dark, the only light was provided by the odd flash of lighting every few minutes. She turned over and looked at Cross. He was asleep with his back towards her. She could just make out two tattoos on his shoulder blades. On the left was a Headstone with "Tom" written on it. On the right shoulder blade was another headstone with "Dad" etched on its face. As Holly studied them, she noticed he was shaking. She didn't know if he was having nightmares or if he was just cold. Either way, she couldn't see him like this. She got up, and quietly padded her way over to him. She lay down and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. She snuggled closer to him, pushing her chest to his back, feeling his warmth. He snuggled back into her, still asleep. He didn't hear her whisper in his ear.

"Goodnight...my love."


End file.
